Barrier for protection against shock waves

ABSTRACT

A barrier for protection against shock waves comprises, in combination with each other, a plurality of soil containing and reinforcing structures ( 20, 22 ) superimposed on each other in such a way as to form two vertical walls ( 12 ). Means of absorbing shock waves ( 30 ) are positioned inside the said walls ( 12 ). The protective barrier also comprises transverse connecting means ( 14, 50, 80 ) engaged with the vertical walls ( 12 ) to enhance the compactness of the protective barrier.

[0001] The present invention relates to a reinforced protectivestructure, and in particular a barrier for protection against shockwaves, which can attenuate and absorb shock waves caused by sound wavesand/or by air movements.

[0002] There are numerous known structures for absorbing the shock wavescaused by different sources. These structures can be generally dividedinto two types. The first type comprises rigid structures which aresufficiently strong to reflect the shock waves. These structures havethe advantage of being repeatedly reusable, but are usually heavy,difficult to handle and very expensive. The second type comprisesstructures which are deformed to a limited and predetermined extent inorder to absorb the shock waves. These structures are far less heavy andless bulky, and can also provide adequate protection, but have thedisadvantage of being usable once only.

[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide a barrier forprotection against shock waves which can overcome the drawbacks of theknown structures, and which can also attenuate and absorb in a highlyeffective way the shock waves caused by sound waves and/or by airmovements.

[0004] Another object of the present invention is to provide a barrierfor protection against shock waves which is economical to manufactureand install, is easily maintained and has high strength even afterprolonged use.

[0005] In order to achieve the aforesaid objects, the present inventionis concerned with a barrier for protection against shock waves asdefined in the claims which follow.

[0006] One of the main advantages of the present invention is thesimplification of the operations of transporting and installing thebarrier for protection against shock waves. The soil containing andreinforcing elements which form the barrier for protection against shockwaves can be carried to the installation site in a compact form, and canthen be erected and filled with the filling material only at the time ofuse. Similarly, after use, the barrier can be easily dismantled andtransported elsewhere.

[0007] Another advantage of the present invention is the possibility ofeasily and rapidly changing the dimensions of the protective barrier.The dimensions of the barrier can be changed according to the technicalcharacteristics of the source of shock waves and/or the dimensions anddistance of the element to be protected, by adding or removing the soilcontaining and reinforcing elements which form the barrier, or bychanging their dimensions, or again by replacing the shock waveabsorption means.

[0008] Further characteristics and advantages will be made clear by thefollowing description, with reference to the attached figures, providedpurely by way of example and without restrictive intent, in which:

[0009]FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a barrier for protectionagainst shock waves according to the present invention;

[0010]FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the protective barrierof FIG. 1;

[0011]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the containing elements formingthe lateral and upper walls of the protective barrier according to thepresent invention;

[0012]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of containing elements according to apreferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0013]FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of the barrier for protectionagainst shock waves according to the present invention in an operatingposition; and

[0014]FIG. 6 is a view in longitudinal section of the protective barrierillustrated in FIG. 5.

[0015] With reference to the figures, a barrier for protection againstshock waves which can attenuate and absorb shock waves caused by soundwaves and/or by air movements according to the present inventioncomprises a main structure 10, of essentially pyramidal or rectangularshape, having two frontal walls 12, transverse vertical connecting means14 and horizontal connecting means 50, 80, and a cover 16.

[0016] The frontal walls 12 comprise a plurality of soil containing andreinforcing elements 20, 22, made, for example, but not exclusively,from one or more panels of wire mesh, preferably hexagonal wire mesh,bent to form a box structure and filled with filling material 21. Asshown in the figures, the containing and reinforcing elements 20, 22 arepositioned so that one is superimposed on another in a plurality of rowsand have their longitudinal axes parallel to each other, and canpreferably, but not exclusively, have identical dimensions. Thecontaining and reinforcing elements 20, 22 of each wall 12 can bepositioned so that they are slightly staggered with respect to eachother, so that the main structure 10 takes on an essentially pyramidalshape.

[0017] The cover 16 is also preferably formed from one or more soilreinforcing and containing elements, positioned transversely above therows of reinforcing and containing elements 20, 22.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the two frontal walls 12 are interconnectedby vertical transverse connecting means, for example, but notexclusively, vertical panels 14 of wire mesh, preferably hexagonal wiremesh. The vertical transverse connecting means 14 not only enclose thestructure and protect the containing and reinforcing elements 20, 22,but are also used to increase the compactness of the protective barrier10. Clearly, the vertical transverse connecting means can also be madein a different way from that shown, for example in the form ofgeosynthetic panels, metal panels, panels of sound-absorbent materialand/or other soil containing and reinforcing elements.

[0019] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the containing and reinforcingelements 20, 22 used to form the protective barrier 10 can be made bydifferent methods and in different shapes.

[0020] Some containing and reinforcing elements 20 comprise, forexample, but not exclusively, a single wire mesh panel divided into abase portion 50 which acts as a horizontal transverse connecting means,an intermediate portion 52 which acts as a front wall of the reinforcingand containing element 20, and an upper cover portion 54 of thereinforcing and containing element 20. The three portions are preferablydemarcated from each other by metal bars used both as reinforcing meansand as bending lines for the aforesaid portions 50, 52, 54. Furtherpanels 60, hinged on the base portion 50 of the wire mesh panel, formthe side walls and the rear wall of the box structure of the reinforcingand containing element 20 when in use, and filling material 21 such assand, pebbles, gravel or similar material, possibly available in situ,is placed within these walls.

[0021] Other containing elements comprise essentially box-shapedstructures formed from a plurality of panels of wire mesh, preferablyhexagonal wire mesh, connected to each other. In a preferred embodiment,these containing and reinforcing elements are made, for example, but notexclusively, in the form of gabions 22. Each gabion 22 comprises atleast four walls, including an upper wall which forms a cover element, alower wall, two side walls, and a pair of walls which form a front and arear wall of the gabion. Filling material 21 such as sand, pebbles,gravel or similar material, possibly available in situ, is placed withinthe gabions 22. The gabions 22 generally have dimensions such that theirlength is greater than their width, and their height is essentiallyequal to their width. In this embodiment, the gabions 22 are connectedby horizontal transverse connecting means 80 comprising wire mesh orgeosynthetic panels.

[0022] Clearly, the horizontal transverse connecting means 50, 80 canalso be made in a different way from that illustrated, for example fromgeosynthetic panels, without departure from the scope of the presentinvention.

[0023] As also shown in FIG. 5, the containing and reinforcing elementsused to form the cover 16 of the protective barrier 10 are generallyalso gabions whose height is smaller than their width. In an alternativeembodiment, the cover 16 of the protective barrier 10 can be formed froma plurality of protective elements of the mattress type, comprising aflexible outer casing which covers a gabion made from metallic materialand filled for example, but not exclusively, with a mixture of bitumen,sand and stones or pebbles.

[0024] The barrier for protection against shock waves according to thepresent invention also comprises absorption means 30 for attenuating andabsorbing shock waves caused by sound waves and/or by air movements. Theshock wave absorption means comprise, for example, but not exclusively,containers filled with liquids, preferably bags filled with water.

[0025] Clearly, a person skilled in the art will have no difficulty inidentifying shock wave absorption means other than those described,which also have a high absorption coefficient, without departing fromthe scope of the present invention. This is because the reduction andabsorption of shock waves can also be achieved by using other absorptionmeans, for example, but not exclusively, expanded polyurethane combinedwith a layer of bitumen, open-cell expanded flexible polyurethane, orfibrous material in general.

[0026] The liquid containers 30 or other absorption means can be placedwithin further containing and reinforcing elements 40 located internallybetween the two frontal walls 12. The internal containing andreinforcing elements 40 can vary from each other in their dimensions andare such that they fill the space between the containing and reinforcingelements 20, 22 forming the two frontal walls 12. The internalcontaining and reinforcing elements 40 can be gabions or, moregenerally, essentially box-shaped structures, made from one or morepanels of wire mesh, preferably hexagonal wire mesh.

[0027] Clearly, the shape and arrangement of the reinforcing andcontaining elements described above and illustrated in the attachedfigures is indicated purely by way of example and without restrictiveintent. A person skilled in the art will have no difficulty in modifyingthe shape and arrangement of these elements without departing from thescope of the present invention.

[0028] In order to form a barrier for protection against shock wavesaccording to the present invention, a plurality of soil containing andreinforcing structures 20, 22, 40, in the form of wire mesh panels, arecarried to the installation site. Here the horizontal transverseconnecting means 50, 80 are positioned and the panels are bent on thesein such a way as to form first soil containing and reinforcingstructures 20, 22, as shown in FIG. 4. The soil containing andreinforcing structures 20, 22 are then superimposed on each other toform the opposing frontal walls 12 of the protective barrier 10, and arefilled with pebbles, sand, gravel or similar material. Second soilcontaining and reinforcing structures 40, are then fitted between thetwo frontal walls 12, and the liquid containers 30 or other shock waveabsorption means are placed within these second structures. Finally, thetransverse connecting means 14 and the cover 16 are positioned to formthe requisite barrier for protection against shock waves.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 5, the protective barrier 10 is located in apredetermined position with respect to a shock wave source 64, in such away as to attenuate and absorb the shock waves 62 travelling towards atarget 70 to be protected. The distance and dimensions of the barrier 10can be calculated in advance according to the technical characteristicsof the shock wave source 64 and of the target 70 to be protected.

[0030] In use, as shown schematically in FIG. 6, the shock waves 62originating from the source 64 initially strike the frontal walls 12 ofthe barrier 10 and in particular the soil containing and reinforcingstructures 20, 22 filled with sand, pebbles, gravel or similar material.This initial impact is enough to attenuate and disperse a significantproportion of the shock waves 62. The shock waves 62 then pass throughthe absorption means 30, where they are attenuated and absorbed to asignificant extent because of the physical characteristics of the saidmeans, such as the water for example. Finally, the residual shock waves62 pass through the other frontal wall 12 and in particular the soilcontaining and reinforcing structures 20, 22 filled with sand, pebbles,gravel or similar material.

[0031] A further advantage of the present invention is that the shockwaves encounter three stages of absorption with technical and physicalcharacteristics which differ from each other, for example, but notexclusively, gravel and water or other sound-absorbent materials. Thesevariations provide greater absorption and an attenuation of the shockwaves which is even more effective than that of the known devices.

[0032] Clearly, provided that the principle of the invention isretained, the forms and details of embodiment can be varied widely fromwhat has been described and illustrated, without departure from thescope of the present invention.

1. Barrier for protection against shock waves, characterized in that itcomprises, in combination with each other, a plurality of soilcontaining and reinforcing structures (20, 22) superimposed on eachother in such a way as to form two vertical walls (12), and means ofabsorbing shock waves (30) positioned inside the said walls (12). 2.Protective barrier according to claim 1, characterized in that itadditionally comprises transverse connecting means (14, 50, 80) engagedwith the vertical walls (12) to increase the compactness of theprotective barrier.
 3. Protective barrier according to claim 2,characterized in that the transverse connecting means comprise verticalpanels (14) and horizontal panels (50, 80).
 4. Protective barrieraccording to claim 3, characterized in that the vertical panels (14) andhorizontal panels (50, 80) are made from wire mesh panels.
 5. Protectivebarrier according to claim 3, characterized in that the vertical panels(14) and horizontal panels (50, 80) are made from geosynthetic panels.6. Protective barrier according to claim 1, characterized in that themeans of absorbing shock waves (30) are positioned inside further soilcontaining and reinforcing structures (40).
 7. Protective barrieraccording to claim 1, characterized in that the means of absorbing shockwaves comprise sound-absorbent materials.
 8. Protective barrieraccording to claim 7, characterized in that the means of absorbing shockwaves comprise containers filled with liquids (30).
 9. Protectivebarrier according to claim 1, characterized in that the soil containingand reinforcing structures (20, 22) are filled with sand, pebbles,gravel or similar material (21).
 10. Barrier for protection againstshock waves, characterized in that it comprises, in combination witheach other, first soil containing and reinforcing structures (20, 22)superimposed on each other in such a way as to form two opposingvertical walls (12), the first structures (20, 22) comprising box-shapedportions filled with sand, pebbles, gravel or similar material, secondsoil containing and reinforcing structures (40) positioned inside thevertical walls (12), and means of absorbing shock waves (30) positionedinside the second soil containing and reinforcing structures (40).